Ana

**In this poem, the name “Ana” is short for the mental disease; Anorexia Nervosa

I know a girl named Ana

At first she seemed so kind

She chose me as a friend

Then snuck into my mind

She told me I was ugly

She told me I was fat

She told me I was worthless

She told me I was a brat

She stripped away my freedom

She pushed away my friends

She only cared for one thing

She wanted my life to end

She said that food was poison

She told me to be strong

I listened to her every day

I had no idea she was wrong

She never seemed satisfied

With the number on the scale

She pushed me to get thinner

Until I was weak and frail

I hated waking up

I hated falling asleep

I hated who I’d become

But all I could do was weep

I wanted her to disappear

I wanted her to leave

I wanted my life back

I wanted to believe

But then the miracle happened

My parents realized my pain

They helped me to recover

They helped me heal my brain

She’s still with me today

Struggling to survive

But I’m stronger than her now

I’m shutting down her life

Today I will be a fighter

Today I will be brave

Today I will be thankful

That I’m not buried in a grave

I wish that she had never come

But I know I can’t change the past

I have the future to look forward to

And it’s going to be a blast